Grayson Weir
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Sha’Carri Richardson almost did not qualify for the Women’s 100-Meter Final at the World Championships in Budapest on Monday. The 23-year-old dynamo squeaked in on time.
She went on to stun the sprinting world with the race of her life and won her first World title in her first World Championships appearance. It was a dominant run that backed up her claim that she is not just back — she’s better!
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Richardson, who first burst onto the scene during the 2020 Olympic trials, made her first World Athletic Championships appearance earlier this week after making Team USA in style. She will run the 100-meter and 200-meter double
There were some brief health concerns after Richardson withdrew from her most recent race at the end of July, but they were dispelled on Sunday. The 100-meter race is up first in the lineup and she dominated her heat with a speedy 10.92.
Richardson was able to pull up at the line and celebrated early.
By winning her heat, the former national champion at LSU qualified for the semifinals. She issued a bold statement to the haters and the world.
I’m not worried about the world anymore. I’ve seen the world be my friend. I’ve seen the world turn on me. But at the end of the day, I’ve always been with me. God has always been with me, so being on this scale now, it’s my time.
It’s always been my time, but now it’s my time to actually do it for myself and the people that feel like me, the people that look like me, and the people that know the truth about themselves as well. I represent those people.
— Sha’Carri Richardson after 100-Meter Heats on Sunday
Richardson was off to a hot start for the week, but things got dicey on Monday.
She got out to a horrible start in the Semis and it looked like she might not even finish in the top-five. Fortunately, Richardson’s second-half push was fast enough to qualify for the Final on time.
Sha’Carri Richardson was in Lane 9 for the Final.
- Ewa Swoboda
- Dina Asher-Smith
- Brittany Brown
- Shericka Jackson
- Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
- Julien Alfred
- Marie-Josee Ta Lou
- Tamari Davis
- Sha’Carri Richardson
Jackson, Fraser-Pryce and Ta Lou are Richardson’s biggest rivals. Particularly the former two, out of Jamaica.
She proceeded to set a World Championships record and a personal-best 10.65 en route to the win. Her shock was evident as soon as she saw the results.
(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
And then the shock became elation.
(Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)
Richardson was not the fastest out of the gate, but she turned on the jets and blew by the field on the second 50 meters. Her burst was incredible!
The comeback was so dominant that Richardson was able to throw up her hands and celebrate before even crossing the line.
Richardson’s win marked the first 100-meter for the U.S. in six years. It was also the first time in history that a sprinter won the Final after qualifying on time. She’s better, not back.
Let’s hope she passes the drug test.